You can choose either a set time to eat or open dining (you eat anytime you want between 5:45 & 9:30. Let me be clear that no one will be defending Carnival this week. . . but let's also not spread misinformation. Most of the rest of what you said seems to be more or less baked up by reading reviews. That said, my family and I just booked a cruise aboard Carnival today. Fist cruise for all of us. Let's hope for no engine fires!

On the one Carnival cruise I've been on, we weren't given an option of open dining. There were two seatings and that was the only choice you had. Maybe that's changed since we went or maybe some of their ships have different choices.

FWIW, there were a lot of drunken young (and not so young) people on our cruise and one brawl in the club.

FTR, something a lot of people still don't realize, the Costa Concordia was owned by Carnival, it just wasn't branded as a Carnival ship.

"Happiness and depression are both feelings, just like joy and anger. It's not feelings that give us problems. It's what we do with them that makes the difference."

"When I was 5 years old, my mom always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down happy. They told me I didn't understand the assignment and I told them they didn't understand life."

On the one Carnival cruise I've been on, we weren't given an option of open dining. There were two seatings and that was the only choice you had. Maybe that's changed since we went or maybe some of their ships have different choices.

FWIW, there were a lot of drunken young (and not so young) people on our cruise and one brawl in the club.

FTR, something a lot of people still don't realize, the Costa Concordia was owned by Carnival, it just wasn't branded as a Carnival ship.

Carnival Corporation owns a lot of lines, among them Holland America, Costa and Princess. They are, I believe, the biggest and have ships on across the price spectrum.

They do now have Anytime Dining which if chosen as an option allows you to eat at anytime during certain hours.

The Alaska cruise season runs from May to September, with high season typically June through August. However, the best time to go is rather subjective.

June, July and August are the warmest months (highs: 50's - 70's), but they also can be quite rainy. The further into the summer you are, the better your chances of seeing wildlife on the various expeditions; these months are the best bets if you want to go fishing as a shore excursion.

May and September offer cheaper cruise fares and fewer crowds; however, shore excursions have a greater chance of being canceled than they do in high season -- especially boat and helicopter tours. May is one of the driest months in the Inside Passage region, but you may find snow on the ground -- great for scenic photos, less ideal for hiking. September offers the best possibility for catching the Northern Lights, as well as great end-of-season shopping deals for souvenir-hunters. However, at this time, the Gulf of Alaska is the choppiest and not recommended for travelers who get seasick. Also, Denali National Park has been known to close in September due to snow.

I Highly recommend Carnival for cruising with Children~ and I agree that summer months are the most expensive and can be extremely HOT! I would suggest September or October and If you can get on Carnival see if you can get a cruise going to Half Moon Cay-- a private island that is so beautiful and they are set up for small children, you can rent cabanas to protect them from the sun, allow for naps, etc! Good Luck!

This Thread is more than 767 days old. It is very likely that it does not need any further discussion and thus bumping it serves no purpose.If you still feel it is necessary to make a new reply you may do so.
I am aware that this Thread is rather old but I still want to make a reply.

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